Miscommunication and false expectations

After the flurry of complaints about the newly built Hatta building (EM #7, pages 29 and 30), two spokeswomen for the EUR and the responsible housing organizations met with Henrik Schoch, the spokesman for the dissatisfied residents, on Thursday November 21st.

SSH and Vestia, the organizations which are mainly responsible for the living standards in the Hatta building, arranged the meeting to get a better view on the complaints and to hear if there are any improvements. The housing organizations also acknowledged that the residents have not been informed correctly, and that their complaints are taken very seriously.

Complicated communication

Some of the defects, like insufficient cleaning and the absence of common rooms, have definitely improved since Schoch and his fellow residents sent SSH their letter of complaint. A lot more is still in need for improvement, but due to complicated communication, the wait for solutions is still taking some time. “Your frustrations are just, but other companies like Eneco – for the water problems – and TNT- for the mail delivery – are also partly responsible for fixing the problems. But I understand that’s none of your concern, so it’s our responsibility to sort that out”, the spokeswoman from Vestia/SSH explained to Henrik.

False expectations

The 28-year old German agreed, and added that the creation of false expectations is the biggest disappointment among the residents. “On the website, Vestia advertised the Hatta building as the place to be, completely furnished and carefree. Whoevers fault it may be, the owners of the building obviously couldn’t live up to that promise.”

In their letter, the residents demanded compensation for the defects, but Vestia/SSH cannot promise financial compensation at the moment.  

Meeting

Vestia/SSH and Campus in Construction planned a meeting on Thursday November 28th in the Sports Centre to discuss possible solutions and the further developments of the new campus, such as the new Food Court and the supermarket. The meeting will start at 16.00. MvS